Among their many functions, data management systems contain software routines that help improve data integrity within an enterprise. Data integrity is the condition that exists when data are complete, correct, consistent, and current. Data integrity can also be described as the expectation of data quality relative to a specified data processing operation. Data integrity can be compromised by human errors during data entry, errors that occur during the transfer of data from one computer program to another, inconsistencies in data processing operations, software bugs, and hardware malfunctions.
There are many ways to minimize threats to data integrity. These include controlled access through security mechanisms, design of user interfaces that prevent data entry errors, and regular backups. Sophisticated data management software can also help reduce risks to data integrity. Despite these measures, however, it is inevitable that unique situations will arise wherein data integrity will be compromised.